Night of the Fusion
by Gemology
Summary: Some Fusions were not meant to be made.
1. Chapter 1

"Connie! Check us out!" Steven ran along the beach toward his friend. Except the creature running towards Connie didn't sound or look quite like Steven. But it knew her name, somehow. It sprang forward, tackling Connie and licking her face.

"Hey stop! We- I- should stop!" Whatever it was pulled back, talking to itself in a strange way.

"Steven?" Connie questioned, though obviously whatever was before her was not. At least, not all of it. There was something oddly familiar about the shape and form of the being before her, and though it sounded a bit like Steven, it also sounded a bit _not_ like Steven. In the same way, it looked a bit like Steven, even walking on two legs, and yet it certainly was not Steven at the same time. But Connie knew that magical things happened all the time in Steven's world, and most of it could be easily explained.

"I'm Stevion now! I fused with Lio- RRRRRRRR." Suddenly a snarl ripped from its jaws, interrupting mid-sentence. "Woah. Sorry, Connie. That seems to happen every once in awhile."

Connie looked both shocked and excited at Steven's announcement. "But how? I thought you could only fuse with gems and humans?"

"Lion is a gem! It was hiding under his mane the whole time!" He went to lift the indicated area of hair, but his head swooped down, teeth bared and seeming intent on biting himself. "Hey now, you behave!" He said, pointing to himself.

"Have you told the Gems yet?" Connie asked. Something didn't feel right about this. Something about Steven fusing with Lion felt wrong. It wasn't that Steven was fusing with an animal- no, Connie knew that gems could shapeshift, and weren't ever really human or animal or any type of material that existed on Earth.

"Nope! I wanted to tell you first. We just fused this morning." Suddenly, the fusion fell over onto its side, closing its eyes and seeming intent on not moving. "No, we're- I'M not napping here. Not right now!" The fusion pulled itself up, very evidently in a struggle against its opposing wills. "Come on, you can still ride on my back!"

Still a little unsure, but always willing to trust Steven, Connie hopped aboard, as Stevion raced across the beach to his home.


	2. Chapter 2

Steven burst through the door of the beachside house. Normally the Gems weren't startled at all when he burst through the door, but this time their reactions were the exact opposite of calm. The three Crystal Gems could only stand and stare. Garnet was not smiling in the way that she had when Stevonnie had first fused. Pearl was covering her mouth with her hands, shocked into silence, and even Amethyst wasn't her usual carefree self.

"Look at us! Aren't we so, rrrawr, cool?" Steven's sentence had been interrupted yet again by a Lion-y sound. "Lion had a gem all along! Now we can fuse all-" Stevion broke into a fit of growls and snarls, dropping onto all fours and backing away from the Gems, appearing to have some kind of inner battle. His eyes went wide and he thrashed about, before wearing himself down enough to be calm.

He was panting, still on all fours, and Connie couldn't help but think that his appearance had changed from when she'd seen him on the beach only minutes before. He looked just the tiniest bit more animalistic. Perhaps it was just his mane that had gotten a bit disheveled in his odd flailing.

"Steven, unfuse right this instant!" Garnet commanded. When Garnet spoke with such force, there was no denying she was absolutely serious. Pearl often overreacted, and Amethyst often underreacted – but whenever Garnet gave a command, she meant business. Plus, the other Gems didn't seem to be opposing their leader's decision.

"O-Okay." Stevion tried to get to his feet, but wobbled on only two legs and instead defaulted to four. It wasn't very comfortable, nor what Steven was used to. "This is starting to hurt anyway." Steven could place why fusion would hurt. With Stevonnie, everything felt perfect and amazing. But with Lion, he didn't feel as in control, or as in harmony. Lion was his best friend, next to Connie, so why did he feel so weird? And the longer he was fused, the less exciting it felt, and the weirder the feeling was that was growing inside him.

Steven tried to distance his mind from Lion's, to remember his old body, his past memories. But everything just seems dark. This hurts, but, he also doesn't want it to end. Why shouldn't it end? Why shouldn't… what end? He was Stevion, that was that.

Stevion came back from his daydream, eyes focusing on the three figures before him. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl- wait, he wasn't Stevion! He was Steven, member of the Crystal Gems, son of Rose Quartz, and his best friend was- Stevion turned to look at the girl beside him- his best friend was Connie.

"I can't!" He cried out in panic. Where did Lion end and he begin? Stevion- no, Steven- couldn't remember anymore. Why couldn't he remember? They'd only fused a few hours ago. Everything had been fine. They'd been having so much fun together. He'd felt like a whole new being. But the same had been true of Stevonnie, right? So why wasn't he having fun anymore?


	3. Chapter 3

"Steven! Steven! STEVEN!" He became aware of a voice calling out to him, bringing him out of his daze. He looked up to see Garnet, and could feel her gripping his shoulders. On either side were Pearl and Amethyst, all looking equally worried.

"Huh wha?" Stevion shook his head back and forth to clear it.

"Steven, do you understand me?" Garnet spoke slowly, enunciating each word.

The creature, every minute slowly growing more and more beastlike, spoke up. "I do. But my name is Stevion." There was an unnaturally rasp to his voice, a mesh of speech that was just on the edge of not sounding human, and definitely over the threshold of sounding creepy.

"Connie, when did this happen?" Pearl asked, her terror filled eyes flying to the human girl.

"I don't know, exactly. Steven met me on the beach just a few minutes ago, and he was already fused with Lion. Is he going to be okay? Steven… Stevion doesn't look so good." She wasn't sure exactly why the gems looked so scared, but she knew if they were that she should be too. She remembered the feeling she'd had when she'd first seen Stevion, the unnerving sensation that this didn't feel right.

"Did he tell you _how_ he managed to fuse with Lion?" Connie could hear the rising panic in Pearl's voice, and it made her uncomfortable. It wasn't like the Gems to not be calm and cool headed.

"He told me that Lion IS a gem. Just like him, and you guys. Right?" Connie hoped that this new information would help calm the Gems and put them at ease, but instead Pearl recoiled back, wide eyes staring at Stevion, and then looking to Garnet for guidance. But Garnet offered none of her usual wisdom and calming aura, looking just as aghast as Pearl.

"Steven, you have to unfuse!" Pearl's voice pierced through Stevion's head, layered with panic. Unfuse? But why? Stevion was all he was, and all he ever had been. He'd gone with the Gems on missions, carried them on his back, fought side by side with them. How could they think he was a fusion?

"Yeah, come on dude! You can do it!" Amethyst's encouraging words barely masked her fear. Rarely did Amethyst admit that she was afraid, but when it was showing on her face and in her voice, that meant it had to be something fierce.

Garnet gathered herself enough keep her voice level. "Come on Steven! We believe in you!" she said, staring him straight in the eyes.

Why did they keep calling him Steven? Couldn't they get his name right? They'd known him long enough. How could they forget his name? It wasn't that hard to remember! "My name is Stevion!" he roared, pushing the Gems away from him. Leaping over them, he let out a roar mid-air, creating a portal and soaring through it. Just as soon as his tail was out of sight, it disappeared, leaving no time for the Gems or Connie to react.

The Crystal Gems laid on the floor where they had fallen, staring at the space where the portal had existed seconds ago. None of them could say anything. It was Connie who broke the silence. "Where did he go?!" she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

They all got to their feet, but Pearl was the one to address Connie. "We… we don't know. Lion can travel anywhere on Earth in an instant." She was doing her best to hold back tears, but after what she'd just witnessed, it was difficult to remain composed. "It's probably best if you head home."

"But, Steven and I were going to spend the day together!" Connie sniffled, her face already soaked with tears. She didn't know where her friend had gone or what was happening, but she knew that it wasn't good. She knew he was in danger, and as a simple human, there wasn't anything she could do to help.

Pearl placed her hands on Connie's shoulders, bending down so they were at eye level. "I know, Connie." She spoke, motherly. "But we don't know where Steven is, or what he's becoming. We need to start searching for him, and we can't be worried about protecting you right now."

"Okay." Connie wiped her eyes with her sleeve, but it didn't help. There was nothing she could do to help her only friend in the world. She wasn't a magical gem being, or a great fighter, or even an adult. She was just a kid! Steven was just a kid!

Connie ran outside, flying down the stairs and tearing across the beach. Tears stung her eyes, but she didn't stop running. She didn't stop until her body gave out, and she collapsed, gasping for breath as her body lay in the sand. All she'd wanted was to spend time with Steven today, and now… she feared she might never see her friend again.


	4. Chapter 4

Days passed. Weeks passed. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl hadn't stopped searching for Stevion. Day and night, they were searching, following every warp pad, hoping to find some indication that he had passed through. They had no idea _where_ to look, and even though they didn't need to eat or rest, the Earth was a big place for three humanoids to traverse. There was no way any of them would ever give up looking for Steven, even though their efforts had been fruitless so far.

But though they didn't _need_ to sleep, their bodies and minds could still become exhausted. So it was that today, they were spending a day at home, trying to strategically plan their next move. They were all antsy to go out and look again, but after weeks of turning up nothing, they were starting to lose hope. None of them wanted to give up, but they all had to admit that maybe searching was a waste of time, a drain on energy that should have been spent protecting Beach City.

"Connie said that Lion is a gem." Pearl began, pacing slowly back and forth across the room. Her normally brisk pace was now slow and forced, her feet dragging on the ground as she walked. " That can only mean one thing. Lion is a corrupted creature, merely a shell of the gem he once was. Rose..." Pearl paused, fighting back a sob, as she once again had to remember that her best friend and mentor had kept the animal, or what they now knew as a gem, hidden from her. "Rose must have found a way to tame him. I can't believe she didn't tell us!" Pearl balled her fists, more frustrated that they still hadn't found Steven rather than being angry at Rose.

"No one has ever tried to fuse with a corrupted gem." Garnet added. She sat on the couch, Amethyst curled up next to her, as she tried to force herself to relax. "Then again, no corrupted gem has ever been tamed. THere's no way Steven would have known the consequences of fusing with such a creature." She adjusted her glasses, as she often did when she was trying to determine the future.

Pearl stopped her pacing and turned to face the two slouched on the couch. "It's probably trying to grasp onto Steven's humanity, to remember what it used to be. But all it's doing is dragging him under, bringing him down to it's level." Pearl paused, considering the repercussions of the words she'd just said. "It appeared as though Steven started to forget who he was in a matter of hours. But instead of being a mutual fusion between two gems, Lion seemed to be consuming the Rose Quartz gem, destroying its humanity in the process." Pearl bit down on her knuckle at this revelation. Now that she was taking the time to consider and examine the facts, she realized their situation was much more dire. Not only was Stevion gone, physically, but Steven himself might be gone completely. There was a high probability that even if they managed to find him, he wouldn't remember who he used to be.

Pearl and Amethyst were beyond asking Garnet what they should do. It was clear even with her future vision that she didn't have any more of an idea what do than the rest of them. That, or she knew a lot more than she was letting on. Whenever Garnet was quiet, she either couldn't determine an accurate future, or she'd seen exactly what would happen, and it wasn't pretty.

Pearl joined the other two Crystal Gems on the couch, placing herself on the side of Garnet not occupied by Amethyst. It was funny, that all of them were thousands of years old, and yet Amethyst and Pearl often felt the need to latch onto a motherly figure. Neither of them were leaders, and when Rose Quartz was alive she had always looked after and protected them. But when she had passed, the role fell to Garnet.

So it was that the fusion had one arm wrapped Amethyst, and the other wrapped around Pearl. The two felt very small, very vulnerable, and very tired. Garnet was their beacon of strength and comfort against all the turmoil they felt inside. And though Gems didn't need sleep, the two- or rather three- found themselves dozing. It had been a long and rough search, with nothing to show for it. If they could manage to relax for a brief moment from all their worries about their young prodigee, Garnet would allow them that.


	5. Chapter 5

Hours later, in the heat of mid-afternoon, the Crystal Gems were jolted awake by the squeak of the screen door. Their first thought was that it was Connie, coming to check if there had been any progress on the search. But what stood in the doorway before them was something they never would have expected.

It slumped across the room, large paws dragging along the wooden floorboards. It panted and moaned, each step seeming to take painful effort to execute. It walked as if it were in a daze, not seeming to notice the Gems that were just off to the side, watching with horrified interest. They knew, without a doubt, that this thing before them was what had once been the fusion of Steven and Lion, but was now something much more twisted.

Instead of Lion's normally pink and fluffy mane, the beast before them had a mass of curly brown hair running down the length of its back. Where there would normally be bright eyes, only a white glow shone from the hollow expression on the creature's face. The Rose Quartz gem could be clearly seen embedded in the belly of the monstrosity, the most prevalent indicator that this was indeed Stevion.

Finally it paused in the center of the room, looking up to see the Crystal Gems. Its ears swiveled forward, a hint of recognition dawning on his face. Though he opened his mouth, he seemed to have trouble forming words, or names, or anything resembling human speech.

The three other gems weren't sure how to react. They didn't know what state of mind Stevion was in. It was hard to tell if he was harmless or deadly. Where had he been? What had he been doing? He hadn't automatically attacked upon discovering their presence, so for the time being Stevion seemed to be harmless.

Garnet approached first. She stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Stevion's head. The only reaction he gave was a slight flinch at the touch, but he made no other movements or sounds. "Steven?' Garnet hunched down so she was at eye level, placing a careful hand under the creature's chin, to direct his gaze to her own.

"Gar..." He opened his mouth to speak, but it was difficult to tell if he was trying to say her name, or simply spouting a nonsensical growl.

"Steven..." Blank eyes stared back, empty and emotionless. "I'm so sorry." she wrapped her arms around Stevion's neck, burying her face in his mane. She heard a low rumble that at first she mistook for growling. However, he made no indication of displeasure, and it wasn't long before she realized that he was actually purring.


	6. Chapter 6

After seeing that Stevion was safe, Pearl and Amethyst made their way over. They enveloped him in a group hug, unsure of what other course of action might be helpful. He'd been gone for so long, they didn't even know if he recognized them at all. And yet, he had found his way home, somehow. He'd found his way back to them, and it gave them hope that somewhere inside Steven still lived.

Stevion suddenly started gasping, in that odd way that cats do when they're trying to cough up a hairball. All three Gems let go of him, concerned that they had smothered him too much and caused him to choke. Concern painted their faces, as they watched him hacking in front of them. They weren't sure if there was something they should be doing to help, and it was certain that Stevion could not communicate to them if he needed their assistance.

In a low, gravely voice, that was barely not a growl, Stevion finally managed to gasp out a raspy "Pearl." A single word, an attempt to relay that he recognized them. He still knew who they were, even if he couldn't quite grasp the significance of their presence in his memories. Some part of Steven was still there, buried in the depths of Stevion, a part of his essence that refused to be snuffed out and become one with the monster.

"Yes, Steven?!" Pearl spoke up quickly, hope rising again inside her. It knew her name, it recognized her. He was still there, somewhere, and the acknowledgement of recognition renewed her optimism that she might one day see Steven's smiling and curious face once again. She was likely being a tad too irrationally hopeful, but she had been anxious for any sign to hold onto, and there it was.

"H-hurts." Slowly, Stevion seemed to be finding his voice. It was still very gravely, his words ground-out in a growl that could barely be interpreted as words. But they were words, deliberate, but forced. It was difficult for him to speak, that was clear to see.

"Everything's going to be okay!" Pearl said, beginning to pet Steven along the mass of hair that covered his back. Memories of his last birthday flooded her mind, which was another time they had had no idea how to help him. As if it wasn't enough that Steven was half human, there were also times that he had trouble controlling his powers. And now, unaware of the effects of his actions, he'd fused with his pet, a corrupted gem.

"Ame-Am-Ameth-" The longer name sat on the tip of his tongue, as he struggled to spit it out. His eyes turned to her and pleaded, and then his head moved forward and nudged her gem. There were so many things he wanted to tell them, but he couldn't remember the words to say.

"S'okay dude." Amethyst tried to be positive, to pretend that everything was fine. She hugged him tightly, silently crying into his mane so he wouldn't see. She was scared, and her fear was only reinforced by the fact that she could tell Garnet and Pearl were afraid too. She got a hold of herself for a moment to say, "We're going to fix you right up, no worries! Heh." she wiped her eyes before removing herself from the embrace, turning to Garnet, her eyes asking, _what do we do?_

Stevion, too, looked to Garnet, eyes still pleading for release. "Gar... net." A slightly more difficult word than Pearl, but easier than Amethyst. "H-help." He slouched down, slowly lowering himself until he was laying on the floor. He was tired from the journey home, and he'd exerted himself trying to get his message across to the gems.

Before them was a creature they had no information about. It wasn't as simple as poofing and bubbling a corrupted gem. There was no telling what would happen to Steven if they dared to harm Stevion. And though they'd feared they might never see him again, here he was, and though his form had changed drastically, there was a tiny piece of Stevion that was still Steven. It was calling to them, saying their names, crying out to be free from the fusion. It pained the Crystal Gems as they all admitted to themselves that they had no idea how to heal their child.


	7. Chapter 7

Amethyst curled up next to the beast, burying herself in his hair and doing her best to offer comfort as he dozed. He seemed to be okay for now, even though his breathing sounded labored. Gems couldn't die by normal human means, and perhaps the best hope for Stevion's survival was that he was mostly gem.

Garnet's gentle hands petted him as he slept, obviously exhausted from whatever ordeal he had been through while they were searching for him, and the trek back home. The future of Stevion was still very uncertain, but the Gems were much more at ease now that he was home where they could watch him. He didn't seem in any condition to run away this time, but they were still determined to keep him under constant supervision.

His speech did not improve much in the coming days. He continued to speak the same few words, "Help", "Please", "Hurts", "Pain", and their names. The hope that had filled them when he returned faded quickly, as the Crystal Gems realized Stevion was in constant agony. He barely moved, not having the strength to do more than growl words every once in awhile. They barely knew how to take care of a human, how were they supposed to heal this creature?

"Steven, what can we do?" Pearl finally asked him in desperation. Though Gems didn't need to eat, Steven did, and the fact that he hadn't in days was extremely concerning. Not to mention, his frequent cries of pain were heartwrenching. Pearl was distraught with worry. None of her knowledge, nothing she had ever studied or learned was useful here. She was as helpless as Amethyst and Garnet, and sitting around doing nothing but watching a dying body was driving her crazy.

Stevion lifted his head slightly to look at her. "Kill… me..." He looked expectantly, his eyes hoping she would fulfill his request. His life had become nothing but agony, and he prayed every day for the sweet embrace of nonexistence.

"N-No!" Pearl started to tear up. She hated seeing Steven in such pain, but none of them could ever bring themselves to harm him. "We're not going to give up on you!" She grasped his head between her hands, staring into his eyes and trying to convey how important it was that he continued to live.

It was just then that the temple door opened, revealing Garnet exiting her room. Pearl rushed over, gripping both of Garnet's arms. "He's not doing well!" she said, her voice strained. This wasn't really new news, Steven hadn't been well since the Stevion fusion began.

"Gar...net." Steven called out, recognizing the figure.

Garnet swept Pearl aside, moving to kneel directly in front of Stevion. "What is it, Steven?" They always spoke to Steven, and not Stevion. Lion had never acted as though he understood English, even when Steven spoke to him. So it was certain that any words that left Stevion's lips were from the youngest of the Crystal Gems.

"I want..." he paused to gather his words, panting from the effort of trying to make a sentence. "...to die." He laid back and closed his eyes, the effort of begging both Pearl and Garnet taking its toll.

"Just hang on a little longer, Steven." Garnet stroked his mane reassuringly. "We'll get you unfused. Soon." Soon was all she'd been saying since they found him. "We'll fix you soon", "soon you'll be back to normal", "soon you'll be fine". But soon never came, and time dragged on.

Garnet stood up, turning to Pearl. "I see what you mean."

Suddenly the temple door opened again, and Amethyst jumped out. "Garnet! Pearl!" she exclaimed, loud enough that even Stevion lifted his head, despite his exhaustion. "Remember the destabilizers Jasper and Peridot used? Maybe there's one in all that ship rubble we recovered from the beach. Maybe it could unfuse Stevion. It's worth a shot, right?" Amethyst looked the most excited she had in days.

Garnet thought back to that night on the beach, when she had been forcibly unfused into Ruby and Sapphire at the hands of Jasper. It wasn't a happy thought, but Amethyst might just be on to something. Steven hadn't been affected in the same way, so using a destabilizer would most likely leave him unscathed. But Lion, corrupt or not, was a full fledged gem, and chances were he would be poofed back into gem, leaving Steven separate and unharmed.

"Amethyst, your idea might just work. Pearl, stay here and keep an eye on Steven. Let us know if anything changes." she and Amethyst headed off to search the pieces of Peridot's ship that they'd stored in the temple. Maybe, just maybe, Steven wasn't gone for good. At long last, there was a glimmer of hope to separating Steven and Lion.


	8. Chapter 8

Pearl did her best to comfort Stevion as she waited for Amethyst and Garnet to get back. She expected them to be gone for hours, maybe even a few days. And when they returned, their search might not have even been fruitful. But in the meantime, she sang lullabies, she stroked his mane and fur, she told him stories. Part of the reason was to soothe him, but the other part was to keep her own mind occupied. She didn't want to think about what Steven had asked her, how much he must be suffering to make such an insane plee.

It was indeed a few days before Garnet and Amethyst returned, looking bedraggled and worn out. But when Amethyst held up a destabilizer, Pearl's eyes lit up. Amethyst ran over, but paused before immediately zapping Stevion. She waited for Garnet to join her, and Pearl stood up and moved away so as not to be in the line of fire.

"Will it work?" Amethyst questioned Garnet. Amethyst was often reckless, but this time she was sure to take the more careful approach. She didn't want to lose Steven anymore than the rest of them, so she knew that caution was the number one priority.

Garnet adjusted her glasses a moment before replying, "Let's do it." she backed away a few feet, still wary of the gem technology after her first rather unpleasant encounter.

Amethyst nodded once, before powering on the destabilizer. "Alright Steven. Come one back to us!" she thrust the shocker forward, and watched as the current rippled across Stevion's body. Slowly, the outlines of the two forms making up the fusion could be seen, one made of light and one made of matter. The fusion seemed confused at first as to which parts made up which half, but soon enough it sorted itself out. With a flash of light, the defuse was complete.

Steven's body lay almost motionless, and next to it was a pinkish gem, similar in color to Steven's own. Pearl was the closest, and she ran over and scooped him up, placing an ear to his chest. His breathing was shallow, but there was no mistaking the rise and fall of his chest, and the faint beating of his heart. He was alive.

Pearl smiled up at the other Gems with relief. She was so overcome that she couldn't speak. She wanted nothing more than to squeeze Steven and never let him go again. Amethyst and Garnet made their way over, eyes roving over Steven's body to check for any outward physical damage. He appeared to be unscathed, but there was no telling the mental damage he may have sustained. He was probably extremely weak, too, having gone without food for days. But he'd refused to accept food, either in an attempt to end his own life, or because the pain was too much to bare.

But one thing was certain: Steven was alive, and Stevion was no more. The Crystal Gems would nurse him back to health. They'd watch him day and night, ever constant sentinels guarding their most valued treasure. They were the Crystal Gems, and they would always prevail and triumph over evils. They'd always save the day.


End file.
